


Faith and Loyalty

by margrave



Series: Mayfly Sputterings [3]
Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Gen, Not Beta Read, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-08-15
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:35:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25913713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/margrave/pseuds/margrave
Summary: Nile was a US-fucking-Marine, she was used to dealing.
Series: Mayfly Sputterings [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1869157
Kudos: 52





	Faith and Loyalty

**Author's Note:**

> Not betad, wrote this fast, all mistakes mine. Comment & kudos appreciated.
> 
> I wanted to explore what being a Marine meant for Nile, because people who become Marines are so very committed to it.

Nile was committed, mostly.

It was a bit hard to back out after killing a fuck tonne of people to rescue three immortals old as dirt. But that doesn't stop her thinking about her family, half a world away thinking she was six feet under.

But hey, Nile was a US-fucking-Marine, she was used to dealing. She had been in a work environment more testosterone filled than any other job on earth. She survived through a sleaze of a commander, who was too much of a fucking coward to actually do anything beyond some uncomfortable touching and standing way too fucking close, breathing down on her neck. She got through it with flying fucking colours because she was a Marine. She was sent to a desert to fight a war when she and her comrades were fucking water specialist. Sure, she was a bit shaky at the beginning with the whole 'immortals are real and you are one too' but like any good Marine she worked through her shit in record time, and adapted to the situation. So, yeah, Nile could deal and adapt. 

"You look serious, thinking something deep?" Andy asked, looking at the semi disassembled M-17, and the small cleaning kit on the table in front of Nile.

"Not really," Nile answered as she checked the chamber of the M-17. "I have been told I have a resting bitch face. Especially when I'm zoning out." She started to carefully screw in the last bit on the gun, "Cleaning my gear relaxes me. Like no matter how bad things get as long as my weapon is in perfect working condition I got a chance to fight, to survive." With a click the M-17 was reassembled and ready to be used. Nile put her gun back into her thigh holster, and looked up at Andy.

"What's up?"

"Not much, just thought you might want some snacks, and maybe some company," Andy placed a plate filled with a caramel sauce covered rectangular cake on the table. "Joe and Nicky got really excited at having a working oven again. So Nicky has gone into a full on baking frenzy, while Joe supports Nicky's life choices," Andy slid into the seat opposite Nile. "Try the bônet, it is delicious."

Nile dug in with a spoon and she could instantly smell hints of hazelnuts. When she put the delicious looking dessert in her mouth, her tongue exploded in a mixture of taste consisting of chocolate, caramel and hazelnuts. 

"This is amazing!" Nile said in between spoonfuls of the bônet.

"We all support Nicky's culinary endeavours," Andy said with a small smile. 

"Nicky can make this any time," Nile said as she ate the bônet slowly. She loved food, especially when it was good. Her mum didn't raise no idiot.

"So, how are you doing?" Andy asked as she started to put the tiny screwdrivers and the other bits and pieces back into the repairing kit. 

"I'm doing okay," Nile said, cleaning up the last bit of caramel sauce with a bit of the bônet. "I'm good at adapting, and it has been several months already."

"About that," Andy said.

"What?" Nile just knew the bônet was to butter her up for some other shit.

"I was talking to the guys, and both of them and myself feel like it's time to get back out there," Andy made a gesture with her hand as if to encompass the whole world. "Honestly speaking we are starting to get a bit bored."

And yeah, Nile could see that, how in the past few weeks all of them were beginning to get the itch to actively do something. They had travelled across the globe these past four months. Places Nile had never been, only seen in pictures and on TV screens. And each place they went the three of them told stories, some deeply hilarious, others entirely mundane. It was like travelling with three extremely knowledgeable tour guides who told you the truth about history.

Joe loved to talk about how a place smelt like shit and urine in so-and-so century, and how the food was ultra blend because that inbred shithole didn't understand the concepts of salt and spice. He would let slip bits of poetry he had enjoyed by long dead and forgotten poets, languages that Nile had no reference point for, and Joe would translate it into English. Nile had realised that people has been writing poetry about love and sex forever, if Joe's translation was correct, some were so risque that it had made Nile blush, and Nile had been been the brunt of male marine spewing sexual innuendos at her for years.

Nicky gave little nuggets about the politics of the time: who was a good a leader, who was a complete incompetent ass, names of people Nile had never of heard of and when she later googled them had only been mentioned as a relative of someone way more famous. In between, Nicky would start on these long rants about the naval capabilities of countries they visit: historical and current. Nile spent many hours getting her naval history nerd on with Nicky. 

And watching them with quiet amusement would be Andy, smiling and taking in all of them. Andy seemed to know a bit of everything, but boy did she know a shit tonne about cavalries, the sort that had actual horses. 

It had been amazing, seeing the world through their eyes, and Nile could see all three of them had needed it, to recover and to mourn the absence of Book. And beneath it all was the constant reminder that Andy's wounds now took weeks, months to heal. A visual reminder that the foundation of their family was being slowly eroded away. In her darker moments Nile wondered if they blamed her for it. Before her Andy had been fine, an immortal in all the ways that mattered. But after her intrusion Andy had become vulnerable, mortal. The thought doesn't last long because they are so happy to have her here, so welcoming of her into their family.

It was both fucking terrifying and awe inspiring, the collective knowledge these three people shared, remembered of human history. How they are the living breathing proof that yes, humanity has evolved, changed for the better. Even on days when it felt like the world was going to hell in a handbasket, memories of all those people they had saved through the centuries, not because they knew the people they were rescuing were going to do great things, but because they could. During those moments Nile felt humbled, allowed to be part of something far greater than she ever thought was possible. Nile wanted that, to be part of something greater than she was, to be always loyal, always faithful, to serve like the marine she was trained to be.

"What are you thinking?" Nile asked.

"We are thinking about heading to China, and assisting with flood relief efforts," Andy answered. And that, yeah, that sounded worthwhile, not a war, nothing sexy, but helping, serving those in need.

The fact of the matter was that Nile was now committed to these old and crusty immortals, they were her team, and maybe one day they will become her family, proper. For now she will suit up for war, save those she could. Pledge herself to this faith, this inherent belief that they all shared: to save those she could, and maybe the people she saved will one day be able to help humanity save itself.

"Yeah," Nile said, a grin spreading across her face, she has faith, and she has got loyalty. "Semper Fi, motherfuckers."

\---FIN---


End file.
